COUNTRY ANALYSIS

SWEDEN
Intercultural Management
Cyril DACLIN
Mme LABAERE
Maylie BERNARD

SUMMARY
I. ACCESSIBILITY CONDITIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.

Geographical aspects
Economic aspects
Political aspects
General and business cultural aspects

II. INTERNATIONAL TRADE ASPECT

1. Commercial balance
2. Most important specialties
3. Supplier countries

III. COUNTRY RISK

1. COFACE risks evaluation
2. Risks analysis Strengths and weaknesses

IV. PAYMENTS
1. Means of payment
2. Payment incidents

V. ADVICES FOR DOING BUSINESS

Video : Swedishness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8_7yPocGPg

I. ACCESSIBILITY CONDITIONS
1. Geographical aspects

55th-largest country in the world

25 provinces
9.714 Million of inhabitants
Capital
Stockholm
Official language
Swedish
Principal airports
Train roads

2. Economic aspects

(2014)

. 7th richest country in the world in terms of

GDP
. Export-oriented mixed economy.
. GDP
430,63 billion
. GDP/Capita
44.000
. Growth rate
2%
. Currency
Swedish krona (TEK)
. Imports : 122,4 billion
. Exports : 123,7 billion
. Commercial balance : + 1,3 Md
. Inflation rate : 0,2%

3.Political aspects
. Constitutional Monarchy
. Prime Minister : Stefan Lfven
. Parliamentary democracy
. Member of European Union

4.General and business cultural

aspects
. Egalitarian and tolerant culture
. Welfare and well-being
. Workplace culture : balance of
team-playing and individual
responsibility
. Strict hierarchy is largely absent
. Balance between work and personal life
. Fika break
. Casual dress code

II. INTERNATIONAL TRADE ASPECT

1.Commercial balance
. Positive balance: 1,3 billion
- imports: 122,4 billion
-. exports: 123,7 billion
. Exportations from France to Sweden: 4,97
billion
. French Importations from Sweden: 5,62
billion
. Market share of France in Sweden: 4,4%

2.Most important specialties

. The parts of the main sectors in the GDP
are:

70,7%

26,3%

1,8%

. Timber, hydropower and iron

. Engineering sector
. Ninth-largest arms exporter in the world
. World leader in privatized pensions

Some of the most important

firms

3. Suppliers countries
Main clients :
- Norway (10,4%),
- Germany (9,7%)
Main suppliers :
- Germany (17,2%)
- Norway (7,9%)

III.COUNTRY RISK

1. COFACE risks evaluation

Country risk :
climate :

Business

2. Risks analysis Strengths

and weaknesses
STRENGHTS

Open, diversified and

competitive economy
Specialization in hightech products and green
economy

Public finances

Political consensus
around the Scandinavian
model

Tax cutting programme

Resilient banking sector

WEAKNESSES

High youth unemployment

Significant household debt

IV. PAYMENTS
1. Means of payment

Low use or not

use

Current use

Company cheque

Bank cheque

Swift electronic
network
Bill of exchange

Promissory note
Documentary
remittance
Documentary
credit

2. Payment incidents

V. ADVICES FOR DOING BUSINEESS

To do
Punctuality is very important, be on
time !
For business appointments you should
dress formally
Verbal agreements are binding
When an agreement is reached and is
sealed by a handshake, its a deal !

Not to do
Do not use a lot of superlatives when
speaking
Do not get too personal.
Do not criticize their way of life,
welfare system, economy, government
or culture
Racist or sexist jokes are not tolerated

Data sources

Country risks :

http://
www.coface.com/Economic-Studies-and-Country-Risks/Sweden

General data :

http://
export.businessfrance.fr/suede/001B1501726A+fiche-pays-suede
.html
https://sweden.se/culture-traditions/
http://
www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/suede/presentation-de-la
-suede
/

Cultural aspects :

http://sibc.se/swedish-business-culture/
http://work.sweden.se/living-in-sweden/swedish-business-culture/